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Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group

Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group

Tag Archives: Speculative Fiction

The 2019 Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group – Write Stuff Conference™

20 Wednesday Mar 2019

Posted by dtkrippene in GLVWG Conference Schedule, Write Stuff Writers Conference™

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Ben Wolf, Charis Crowe, Speculative Fiction, Splickety Publishing, Writers Cafe, Writing, Writing Conferences, Writing Craft

 

2018 Conference
2018 Conference
2018 Conference
2018 Conference

Day 1 of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writer’s Group Write Stuff Conference™ begins tomorrow Thursday, March 21. 7:00 a.m. Check-In table opens. Pick up registration materials at the check-in table.

 

Get ready for a full day seminar with Ben Wolf and Charis Crowe. 

Ben Wolf Pic 2
Charise Crowe

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM ~ Into the Deep:

An Advanced Study of Speculative Fiction

Speculative fiction rules today’s popular culture in books, movies, and TV shows. Learning the ins and outs of the various genres is absolutely essential for writers who intend to compete in a saturated yet hungry market.

This extended workshop delves deep into speculative fiction and its sub-genres and will discuss the conventions, philosophies, types, standards, and other key elements that help define the genre.

So strap on your blaster, mount your dragon, and fly with us into the depths of the weird and wonderful world of speculative fiction.

 

Day 1 Lunch

12:00 Noon – 12:45 PM ~ Lunch (included)

Plus: Networking Opportunities

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

2018 Conference

 

1:00 PM – 4:40 PM ~ Into the Deep:

An Advanced Study of Speculative Fiction – Part 2

 

Bart Palamaro
Bart Palamaro
2018 Conference
2018 Conference

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ~ Writers Cafe:   Lehigh Room 

Facilitated by Bart Palamaro

Get ready for Friday night Page Cuts or Saturday Agent/Editor pitches by bringing your pitch or opening page and we will give you instant feedback!  Or just bring the first page of your manuscript for a critique. 

ALL registered Conference attendees are welcome to attend this Conference version of GLVWGs monthly read and critique meeting. 

It’s a fun time!

 

Then get some rest. Friday brings more learning and networking

 

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Article by D.T. Krippene – Social Media Chair

Dan Central Park 3

You can find DT at his Website – “Searching For Light in the Darkness“

his Facebook Page, and Twitter @dtkrippene

 

 

Registration for The Write Stuff Writers Conference Opens December 8

05 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by GLVWG Write Stuff™ Blog in GLVWG Conference Schedule, Write Stuff Writers Conference™

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Agent Interviews, Book Marketing, Editing, Speculative Fiction, Writing Conference, Writing Craft, Writing Fiction, Writing Workshops

Write Stuff Conference brochure 2019 V4

Write Stuff Conference brochure 2019

We want to give you a heads up about GLVWG’s The Write Stuff Writers ConferenceTM .  It’s taking place March 21 – 23, 2019 at the Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel & Conference Center at 300 Gateway Drive, Bethlehem, PA.

We have Ben Wolf presenting on Thursday and Friday. AND he’s the Keynote Speaker on Saturday.

Registration opens Saturday, December 8.

Just in time to give yourself a present – or put on your wish list (hint, hint).

If you’ve attended our conference in the past, you know the value you get for your buck.

If you’ve never been to our conference – prepare for a great experience.

 

Write Stuff Conference brochure 2019 V4

Day 1: Thursday, March 21


Ben Wolf

Into the Deep: An Advanced Study of Speculative Fiction

*****

Day 2: Friday, March 22

Ben Wolf

The Three Pillars of Storytelling

Backstory: Your Secret Weapon to Engaging Readers

Writing Flash Fiction that Sells

Janeen Ippolito

Book to Market: Tips to Package, Promote, and Publish Your Book

 

Friday Evening Events

The Pixar Method with Charis Crowe

Page Cuts Critique Sessions ($10 Fee; Advanced registration required)

Followed by reception with snacks and cash bar

*****

Day 3: Saturday, March 23

Ben Wolf

Keynote Luncheon Speech — “Writing Through Adversity”

Presenters (in alphabetical order)

Donna Brennan

Strengthening Your Writing  (2-hour workshop –  Limited to 24 participants)

Getting Started Writing for Magazines

Putting Off Procrastination

Kathryn Craft

Those Critical First Pages

Say That and More: Writing Effective Dialogue (2-hr workshop. Limited to 24 participants)

Charis Crowe

Marketing Execution for Authors

Finding Your Author Voice

YA is Here to Stay (Cedar Crest)

David Fessenden

The Publishing Contract

The Writer/Editor Relationship

The Dreaded Outline: What Your English Teacher Never Told You

Editing Your Own Material (Muhlenberg)

Jon Gibbs

Are Your Characters Right for the Part (Hands-on session.)

The Seven-Sentence Solution (2-hr workshop. Limited to 24)

Janeen Ippolito

Fundamentals of Fiction – Inside Out

How to Write Romantic Subplots

Larry Schardt

Powerful Tools to Enhance Your Writing

Putting a Positive Spin on Rejection (Lafayette)

*****

Keep watching the GLVWG Website and follow the GLVWG Blog for updates, along with our Facebook Page.

The Spark of Imagination

19 Sunday Aug 2018

Posted by GLVWG Write Stuff™ Blog in GLVWG Authors

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Firebringer Press, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Speculative Fiction, Writing

Phil Giunta Pic

Phil Giunta

In the next couple of months, the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group will feature some of our published authors. Phil Giunta is a regular fixture at GLVWG, has shared his advice on Writing the Compelling Short Story at past conferences, and has quite an impressive bibliography of works to his name. 

Phil offers his perspective on “The Spark of Imagination”, followed by a teaser of his upcoming book, “Like Mother Like Daughters“, due for release by Firebringer Press in November 2018.

**********

 

When I use the term “speculative fiction” in my response to the inevitable question, “What do you write?” the common reaction is a blank stare, even from some in the writing community. 

When that happens, I take it as my prompt to explain that speculative fiction is an umbrella term that covers science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Once they hear that, the blank stare is washed away and replaced by understanding followed by the inevitable, “Are you published?”

The answer to that question can be found in my bibliography below. At the moment, I’d like to address another question, asked less frequently, yet far more satisfying to discuss—“Why do you write in those genres?”

Simply put, they appeal to me because of the wide breadth of stories that can be told, the infinitely exotic worlds that can be created, the strange, beguiling, or alien characters and situations that allow us to escape into a milieu unlike anything we experience in our daily lives.

Someone once said that science fiction and fantasy are not so much genres, but settings through which any tale can be spun—murder mysteries, police procedurals, medical dramas, coming of age tales, the immoralities of war, racism, sexism, nationalism and the other chauvinisms that plague our society. Writers have always used fiction as parables to address the ills of the world around them.

Speculative fiction also appeals to me because these were the genres and themes I grew up with from the time I watched my first episode of Star Trek in reruns at age six and dreamed about exploring the galaxy. That same year, Star Wars was released—the pure, untainted, perfect version—that fired my young imagination even further. I started watching The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits around that same time.

From then on, I was hooked and began reading science fiction, which led to fantasy, which led to ghost stories and mysteries. From Asimov to Clarke, from Bradbury to Ellison, from Heinlein to LeGuin, from Poe to Lovecraft, and from Doyle to Dumas, I could not get enough. Still can’t. Still reading as yet undiscovered (by me) works by some of these writers and more including Philip Jose Farmer, Larry Niven, Lester Del Rey, Murray Leinster, Ben Bova. The list expands continuously.

In the 1980s and 1990s, I began attending science fiction conventions, hauling along stacks of Star Trek novels and comic books to be autographed by writers who have since become mentors, friends, and yes, colleagues. Little did I realize at the time that by inquiring about writing and publishing and attending their discussion panels, I was also networking with chaps like Steven H. Wilson, Michael Jan Friedman, Howard Weinstein, Peter David, Robert Greenberger, Aaron Rosenberg, and many others.

These bestselling and award-winning writers of comic books and media tie-in works also made their own marks with original SF, fantasy, and horror. Over the past twenty-six years, my relationships with some of these writers solidified into writing and publishing opportunities.

Steven H. Wilson’s Firebringer Press published all three of my paranormal mystery novels and a trilogy of speculative fiction anthologies that I created and edited to give voice to emerging writers.

Crazy 8 Press—formed by Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, Bob Greenberger, Aaron Rosenberg, Glenn Hauman, and other august scribes—included two of my whimsical short stories in their ReDeus mythology series a few years back.

As a reader and fan, the speculative fiction genres have always brought me joy and wonder and have enriched my life by introducing me to scores of wonderful people.  As a writer, these genres sparked my imagination at an early age and inspired me to pursue and hone my skills as a storyteller.

 

**********

 

And now, click Like Mother, Like Daughters-Teaser  for a sneak peek at Phil Giunta’s newest story, due out in November 2018. 

Giunta LMLD Cover

Like Mother, Like Daughters-Teaser

 

**********

Phile Giunta

Phil Giunta’s novels include the paranormal mysteries Testing the Prisoner and By Your Side published by Firebringer Press. His third novel in the same genre, Like Mother, Like Daughters, is slated for release in late 2018.

Phil’s short stories appear in such anthologies as A Plague of Shadows from Smart Rhino Publications, Beach Nights from Cat & Mouse Press, the ReDeus mythology series from Crazy 8 Press, and the Middle of Eternity speculative fiction series, which he created and edited for Firebringer Press. His paranormal mystery novella, Like Mother, Like Daughters is slated for release in 2018.

As a member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG), Phil also penned stories and essays for Write Here, Write Now and The Write Connections, two of the group’s annual anthologies. He also served as chairman of the 2015 Write Stuff writers conference in Bethlehem, PA.

Visit Phil’s website: http://www.philgiunta.com

Find him on Facebook: @writerphilgiunta and Twitter: @philgiunta71

You can listen to Testing the Prisoner and By Your Side for free at Scribl: https://scribl.com/browse?au=1017

 

Bibliography – Phil Giunta

Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity – Firebringer Press (Summer 2019)

Like Mother, Like Daughters – Firebringer Press (November 2018)

A Plague of Shadows – Smart Rhino Publications (September 2018)

Write Connections – Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (March 2017)

Beach Nights – Cat & Mouse Press (October 2016)

Elsewhere in the Middle of Eternity – Firebringer Press (August 2016)

Write Here, Write Now – Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (March 2016)

Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity – Firebringer Press (August 2014)

ReDeus: Beyond Borders – Crazy 8 Press (May 2013)

By Your Side – Firebringer Press (November 2012)

ReDeus: Divine Tales – Crazy 8 Press (July 2012)

Testing the Prisoner – Firebringer Press (November 2009)

 

 

Meet Author Phil Giunta

25 Saturday Feb 2017

Posted by dtkrippene in GLVWG Author Blog, Write Stuff Conference Presenter, Write Stuff™ Conference

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Firebringer Press, Speculative Fiction, Writing, Writing Conferences, Writing Short Stories

 

 

phile-giunta

Author Phil Giunta is a regular fixture at GLVWG, and will share his advice on Writing the Compelling Short Story at The Write Stuff Conference™, Saturday, March 25, 2017.  GLVWG’s Dawn Sooy does the honors by asking a few questions about Phil’s life as an author.

**********

DS – I recently saw a short story of yours (Tower Sixteen), won second place in the Rehoboth Beach Reads Short Story Contest. What was the inspiration to write this story?

Phil – I’ve always been fascinated with the WWII fire control towers (commonly known as observation towers) that were constructed along the Delaware coast. Currently, only one is open to the public near Fort Miles in Cape Henlopen State Park and every time I go there, I climb the spiral steps 75 feet to stand at the top and look out upon the park, the ocean, and the Delaware Bay. It’s a gorgeous view.

Long before Cat and Mouse Press started their annual writing contest four years ago, I knew I wanted to write a short story about those towers, but the idea just hadn’t come to me. I was usually buried in several other writing and editing projects. Then in March 2016, a friend reminded me about the writing contest and I learned that the theme for that year was Beach Nights. That’s when it hit me immediately—a ghost story! Most of my paranormal tales have a lot of heart and emotion. I wanted this story to be no different, plus it had to honor our military and those who served at Fort Miles. I know “Tower Sixteen” accomplished all of the above. How do I know this? I was told the ending brought one of the contest judges to tears. Who can ask for anything more?

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Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG)

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